Dakota County, MN
Get paid to care for your family member in Dakota County, Minnesota
About 76,800 people in Dakota County are 65 or older — 17% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Minnesota as a whole. Roughly 7,960 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Dakota County is one of the state's biggest population centers, and home-care agencies do work here — but staffing is thin, schedules change, and a stranger in the house is not what every family wants.
Who needs care in Dakota
- People 65 and older
- 76,800
- People 85 and older
- 7,960
- Median age
- 39.3
- Rank in Minnesota
- 3rd
17% of Dakota residents
the age daily help usually starts
close to the national average
of 87 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Dakota County is a large metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 1). Minnesota as a whole is 18% aged 65 or older.
What Minnesota pays family caregivers
$22.74/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: Minnesota Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Minnesota's programs at a glance
- CFSS
- CDCS
- Elderly Waiver
- Spouse paid?
- Yes
- Parent paid for a child?
- Yes
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Minnesota guide →
Towns and cities in Dakota County
Minnesota sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Lakeville and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Dakota County:
- Lakeville77,971
- Eagan67,240
- Burnsville64,864
- Apple Valley55,272
- Inver Grove Heights36,226
- Rosemount30,581
- Farmington24,464
- Hastings22,501
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Dakota apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Dakota County start with Minnesota's program:
Start with a MnCHOICES/long-term care consultation assessment through your county (or call the Senior LinkAge Line); also apply for Medical Assistance (MA-LTC application).
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Minnesota program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Dakota questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Dakota County?
Yes. Minnesota runs real Medicaid programs — like CFSS — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Dakota County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Dakota County?
Reported figures in Minnesota are around $22.74/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Dakota County apply?
Families in Dakota County start with the state, not the county. Start with a MnCHOICES/long-term care consultation assessment through your county (or call the Senior LinkAge Line); also apply for Medical Assistance (MA-LTC application).
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Dakota County?
Yes — a spouse can be paid here. The fine print for Minnesota: yes — since 10/1/2024 spouses can be paid CFSS/PCA workers (per MN DHS bulletin); spouses also hirable under CDCS
How many people in Dakota County might need this?
76,800 residents of Dakota County are 65 or older and about 7,960 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Minnesota's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Dakota do you cover?
All of Dakota County — including Lakeville, Eagan, Burnsville, Apple Valley and Inver Grove Heights. Eligibility is set by Minnesota, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Minnesota's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
More Minnesota counties
The programs are the same statewide — pick your county:
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